PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab Makes New Investment in The Kroger Co. $KR

Key Points

• PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab opened a new position in The Kroger Co., buying 652,323 shares worth about $40.9 million and now owning roughly 0.10% of the company.
• Institutional ownership is high at 80.93%, with several funds (e.g., Liberty One, Connor Clark & Lunn, Universal Beteiligungs) recently increasing their Kroger stakes.
• Kroger reported Q earnings of $1.28 EPS (beating estimates) and set FY 2026 guidance of 5.10–5.30 EPS, while declaring a $0.35 quarterly dividend (annualized $1.40, ~2.1% yield) and carrying a high payout ratio of 91.5%.

PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought a new position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 652,323 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $40,888,000. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab owned 0.10% of Kroger as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Liberty One Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Kroger by 85.0% during the third quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 857,667 shares of the company's stock worth $57,828,000 after purchasing an additional 394,060 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its position in shares of Kroger by 45.5% during the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 855,810 shares of the company's stock worth $57,690,000 after purchasing an additional 267,434 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd raised its position in shares of Kroger by 401.3% during the third quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company's stock worth $1,293,000 after purchasing an additional 15,586 shares during the period. Money Concepts Capital Corp raised its position in shares of Kroger by 64.7% during the third quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 45,267 shares of the company's stock worth $3,051,000 after purchasing an additional 17,777 shares during the period. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH raised its position in shares of Kroger by 7.0% during the third quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 684,953 shares of the company's stock worth $46,173,000 after purchasing an additional 44,619 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Kroger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Barclays reissued a "positive" rating on shares of Kroger in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Erste Group Bank lowered Kroger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wall Street Zen raised Kroger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kroger in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $74.56.

Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KR opened at $67.80 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $70.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The Kroger Co. has a one year low of $58.60 and a one year high of $76.58. The company has a market capitalization of $41.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.46.

Kroger (NYSE:KR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.08. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.The firm had revenue of $34.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.14 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. Analysts anticipate that The Kroger Co. will post 5.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Kroger's payout ratio is 91.50%.

Kroger Company Profile

The Kroger Co NYSE: KR is one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States, offering a wide range of retail grocery and related services. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates a portfolio of supermarket and multi-department store banners and provides customers with fresh foods, packaged groceries, deli and bakery items, meat and seafood, produce, and prepared foods. Kroger's stores commonly include pharmacy services and fuel centers, positioning the company as a broad-based neighborhood retail destination for everyday needs.

In addition to traditional in-store retailing, Kroger manufactures and distributes a variety of private-label brands and operates its own food production and supply-chain facilities.

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